Dundee ‘want to get into Europe’ – Nelms

Managing director John Nelms says Europe is in Dundee’s sights as they target another top-six finish this season.

The Dens Park club finished sixth last term on their Premiership return but things haven’t been as smooth sailing this time round, with two wins and four losses in their last six.

However, 12 matches into the campaign they sit seventh and are only three points behind St Mirren with a game in hand.

“The goal is always to be in the top six,” Nelms told BBC Scotland.

“For a club like Dundee, we want to get into Europe and kind of solidify one of those six places, or one of those five places. Every year, especially this year, we are there or thereabouts.

“If we get it right and we do the recruitment in the right manner, I think you could be there or thereabouts every year.”

Nelms says developing young talent is a “big focus” for the club, who led the way last season in giving Premiership game-time to Scots aged under 21, although the majority of those 3,538 minutes were racked up by one player, Lyall Cameron.

“Tony [Docherty] is focused on the development of young players, which we are as well. He has the same mindset that we have,” Nelms added.

“We have developed probably more young players than most clubs have here recently. But it’s a very fine line to walk. You have to get that right, you have to get the mix right, the number of young players.

“I think right now we have four Under-20 Under-21 internationals – Scotland, English and Austrian – and but we try to marry that with senior players that they can look up to and learn from.”